1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to chemiluminescent devices. More particularly, this invention relates to chemiluminescent devices which may be used to detect infiltration of protected perimeters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,466 which issued to Rudolph J. Marcus et al. on Aug. 10, 1976 is, insofar as is known by the inventors, the most closely related prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,466 discloses a method for detecting hostile troop movements and the like in particular areas. The method disclosed involves distributing encapsulated air-reactive chemiluminescent material in the area where detection is desirable so that when troops or the like moving across the area crush the capsules a chemiluminescent reaction will be produced.
The chemiluminescent material used by the inventors in U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,466 is tetrakisdimethylaminoethylene (TMAE). TMAE has a drawback in that its light capacity is not large. Its light capacity is only about 0.3 lumenhour-liter.sup.-1. It would, accordingly, be advantageous if a chemiluminescent material having greater light capacity could be used in lieu of TMAE.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,836 to Herbert P. Richter et al. discloses chemiluminescent systems made up of (1) an organic compound selected from the group consisting of anthrahydroquinone, 2-ethylanthrahydroquinone, 2-tertiarybutylanthrahydroquinone and benzoin, (2) an oxalate ester and (3) a fluorescer. When solutions containing these three ingredients are reacted with oxygen (from the air) in the presence of a catalyst such as sodium salicylate or tetrabutylammonium salicylate high intensity light is produced rapidly. These systems have light capacities in the range of from 30-50 lumens-hours-liter.sup.-1. Accordingly, such systems would be desirable for use in lieu of the TMAE used in U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,466. However, the use of a salicylate catalyst presents a problem in that its incorporation directly into the system tends to cause the system to decompose. It would be advantageous to omit the catalyst. However, a catalyst is necessary for rapid production of high intensity light in situations where the encapsulated material is to be used as an infiltration detection device.